This podcast is known for going off on tangents and taking forever to get to the point, but when comedian Tom McCarthy sat in with Joel and Corey for this week’s show, he had no idea what he was in for. Tom has been a staple of the Detroit comedy scene for fifteen years or so and arrives to promote a TV pilot he’s shooting soon. It involves a lot of local comics and Joel gives his not-so-serious impressions of the talent involved (including many of his former students) — and Corey Hall. Eventually, the guys shut up long enough to let Tom tell the “green room” story which begins a tangent about how open mike shows should run, the skills needed to emcee and Joel thinks most show producers get it wrong. Tom’s a good guy, a funny comic and a great guest on this show. Also, another pro wrestling superstar dies and at least Joel had the honor of sharing the dressing room and being nearly injured by the legendary brute. Plus, reviews of Incredibles 2, Tag, and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Want to find a better actor than Hannibal Buress? Simply Google any human being who has ever lived or just look in the mirror.

The world seems crazier than ever, as Trump meets a Korean dictator, IHOp changes its name, Anthony Bourdain dies, and the NBA is the most important thing in the world – to some people. Stuff got weird this week. Really weird. Also, Corey Hall meets a big celebrity in Detroit, but it wasn’t a great encounter – find out who he met and why he wasn’t a nice man on this show. Plus, Star Wars nerds are mean, Roseanne goes nuts, as does Lisa Lampanelli, HBO’s Barry was fantastic, and movie reviews of Deadpool 2, A Quiet Place and Herdeitary. The big takeaway from this show – Guy Fieri is an asshat who will outlive us all.

The Jedi Council re-convenes for a review of the latest Star Wars movie: Solo: A Star Wars Story. Joel, Corey Hall, Josh Bowab and new member Paul, an artist and lifelong Star Wars fan, break down the latest film which was a plagued production with a director switch and a rush to release. It’s actually pretty good, say some on the panel, with the filmmakers nailing the feel of the original trilogy with it’s style and humor. The acting is pretty good, too. It’s not all great, however, as there’s a few cringe-worthy scenes and some logical leaps which hindered some of the Council’s enjoyment. The guys also break down the Easter eggs, references and surprises – and there are plenty. There’s a lot of laughs on this show, too! And the first twenty minutes are spoiler-free! Plus, Joel watches The Last Jedi again and dislikes it even more this time. If you like Star Wars, you’ll love this show.

It’s so sad to say goodbye to friend and comedian Mike Lundy, a frequent guest on this podcast, who passed away recently. Joel and Corey share their memories of Mike, play some clips of Mike from the show and remember the great talent he was. Joel tried to assemble the best of his previous appearances on the show but ultimately didn’t do the best job, so a further tribute is in order. You will hear a crossdresser try to get Mike to take his shirt off at Pridefest though, so there’s that. The guys saved the eulogy for the end of the show, however, and there’s a ton of “regular” content before that, like another audience/comedian fight, Joel’s trip to Toronto where he tried an escape room for the first time, Barry on HBO was really great, another Pro Wrestling Crate unboxing, and find out what new movie has a-list actresses doing it.

Kanye West went crazy this past week, but Joel think that’s another day for him. Corey Hall disagrees and solicits the aid of comedian Jeff Horste, who calls in to tell us what he thinks as he grew up in Southfield, an ethnically mixed neighborhood, with a bad mustache. Jeff shares his thoughts on the hip-hop legend and shares stories of his newfound success working with Kevin Hart and filming a Comedy Central special in Los Angeles. Also, Jeff tells us about having a sex toy thrown at him onstage last week – you’ve made it now, Jeff! Plus, Mitzi Shore’s belated obituary, Avengers: Infinity War gets reviewed and find out which Marvel films you should really see first, Joel reviews Blockers and The Greatest Showman, Conan goes to thirty minutes, and the White House Correspondents Dinner should probably go away for good.

So many celebrities died in the last two weeks that it inspired Joel to come up with a new game to cover all the obituaries – The Hat of Death. Joel Corey Hall, and comedian Sal Demilio pull names of dead celebrities out of a hat and give instant, improvised, non-researched eulogies to the likes of R. Lee Ermy, Barbara Bush and Harry Anderson. And not to give him short-shrift, Mini-Me Verne Troyer died, too, giving delight to this podcast’s hosts and listeners alike. The guys also mourn the loss of Bruno Sammartino, try to figure out who Avicii was, and wonder who was the most bangable First Lady in US history. Also, the Elvis Presley documentary on HBO is good, but seems incomplete, Andre the Giant’s documentary is also fun and you’ll hear Joel’s memory of seeing Andre wrestle live. Plus the classic episode of the week takes us back to November 2006, for no good reason whatsoever.

Joel Radio welcomes back comedian Derek Richards who was recently mentioned by Joel as one of the funniest comedians offstage. He lives up to that billing on this show, sharing hilarious road stories, tales of really bad gigs, descriptions of life in Florida and Las Vegas and much more. Corey Hall had some bad gigs too, including some small-town excuses for low turnout that you won’t believe. It’s been almost thirteen years since Derek joined us on the show, and it was long overdue! Also, the guys review The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling on HBO, a overly-long, but wonderful portrait of a comedic genius. Plus, HBO’s Barry is worth a look, Joel and Corey drop some quarters into Ready Player One, Corey goes to the Isle of Dogs and much more stupidity.

It’s a grab bag of topics from various Monkees line-ups to comedy shows gone wrong on this week’s Joel Radio. Corey Hall and Joel review Richard Pryor’s son Mason’s attempt at comedy on TV and why it went wrong. Was it the material, the legacy, or just a bad impression of his dad that sunk him? Another comic who had trouble this week was Hannibal Buress, who was kicked off-stage at a Catholic university. The guys discuss their experiences with censorship in comedy, why colleges aren’t a great place for comedians, and who is really at fault in this situation. Also, Christian movies are all the rage in Hollywood, and since they hadn’t heard of their latest hit, Joel and Corey listen to the song that inspired it and wonder why anyone of any faith could have such bad taste in music. Plus, Beyonce and Jay-Z charge $2000 for tickets, Joel gets a Pro Wrestling Crate, another look at Black Panther, Coco and why Pixar is overrated, the making of the Last Jedi shows it going horribly wrong, and Annihilation is smart, good sci-fi that needs an audience.

Joel and Corey Hall discuss the funniest comics off-stage, which is not something a lot of people consider when it comes to comedy success. The guys talk the best “hangs” in comedy and the superstar they’d rather see interviewed than actually performing stand-up. This also plays in to a recent high-profile fight a recent friend of the show was in and why being funny off-stage will always give you an edge. Back onstage, Joel confesses to using notesfor a recent set, while Corey went and rocked a small town bowling alley – it’s a living. Also, The Oscars have happened as predicted. The guys rundown the show, why it’s not as popular as it used to be, how Jimmy Kimmel fared as host, and why the red carpet really isn’t relevant anymore. Plus, Corey sees Black Panther and says more minority super heroes are inbound, both guys liked Game Night, and Derren Brown debuts on Netflix in spectacular fashion with The Push.

It’s the annual rundown of the best and worst films of 2017 on the annual Joel Radio Movie Mania extravaganza. Joel and Corey Hall have made their lists of the top fifteen films they liked the most from 2017 – and there’s some obscure ones in there, too – so if you’re looking for something to watch, you’re covered. The guys also handicap the Oscars, as Joel saw every nominated film in the major categories, and you’ll get a rundown of the very worst films of the year, too. Hey, one of Corey’s best is on Joel’s worst – fight! Plus, the best documentaries of the year, Corey steps on Joel’s joke, and peanut butter Ho-Hos – the perfect baked treat or a useless re-invention?